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Running from a snowy encounter

Bill EllzeyColumnist

Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 10:46 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 10:46 a.m.

We left North Carolina's mile-high mountains Saturday, driving some 800 miles in two days, mostly along Interstate 85, leaving behind the twisty roads and multicolored leaves and threats of a “Sandy” snowstorm.

By the time you read this, it will be clear whether meteorologists, a week ago, predicted correctly that a couple of cold fronts approaching from the northwest might combine with Hurricane Sandy, from the east, resulting in an early snow.

One report suggested a foot or two of snow along the Appalachians, chiefly in West Virginia, but possibly farther south, in Tennessee and North Carolina.

The locals we spoke to showed no surprise or alarm over the snowy prospects. Of course, snow in the mountains is not the rare phenomenon it would be here.

Preparations? As we drove southbound Saturday and Sunday, we spotted occasional clusters of “bucket trucks” headed the opposite direction. These were the sort of trucks used by utilities and professional tree trimmers, and over two days they totaled perhaps 50, far too many for any local job.

We suspect they were dispatched in anticipation of heavy storm damage to electrical systems when the storm came ashore. Our surprise was in their being on the way to potential damage days before the storm came ashore.

Satsumas! We returned from fall color viewing in the Smoky Mountains this week to find the local autumn colors showing up in orchards and roadside stands across the coastal region. We had managed to sample a few sweet satsumas before we left, and on our return found a message from Dot Rogers of Bourg whose orchard has been supplying us for years.

Her satsumas are ready, sweet, but the other citrus, oranges and grapefruit, will come later.

Dot has one of the several citrus orchards in the area. Hers is located on La. 55 alongside Bayou Terrebonne, just south of Klondyke, where La. 24 turns east toward Larose. There may be others more accessible to you, and roadside stands provide other opportunities to buy citrus by the bag.

Southdown Marketplace: Southdown Marketplace, an arts and craft show, is scheduled for Saturday at the plantation, 1208 Museum Drive, Houma. There will be scores of craft booths for fall shoppers.

The plantation's director, Rachel Cherry, said volunteer ticket takers are needed. If you would like to volunteer, call the plantation at 851-0154.

Smart voting: Early voting closed Tuesday in Louisiana, so remaining registered voters should be preparing to cast ballots at their precincts Tuesdat.

All the media attention has been on the Obama-Romney battle for the presidency, but they are not alone on the ballot. Expect a handful of presidential candidates you never heard of, plus a swarm of proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution, plus in some precincts, judgeships, parish propositions and more.

Get a sample. Study it with the aid of www.Geauxvote.com and www.parlouisiana.org for amendment explanation. Write out your intentions for a speedy turn in the voting booth.

<p>We left North Carolina's mile-high mountains Saturday, driving some 800 miles in two days, mostly along Interstate 85, leaving behind the twisty roads and multicolored leaves and threats of a “Sandy” snowstorm.</p><p>By the time you read this, it will be clear whether meteorologists, a week ago, predicted correctly that a couple of cold fronts approaching from the northwest might combine with Hurricane Sandy, from the east, resulting in an early snow.</p><p>One report suggested a foot or two of snow along the Appalachians, chiefly in West Virginia, but possibly farther south, in Tennessee and North Carolina.</p><p>The locals we spoke to showed no surprise or alarm over the snowy prospects. Of course, snow in the mountains is not the rare phenomenon it would be here.</p><p>Preparations? As we drove southbound Saturday and Sunday, we spotted occasional clusters of “bucket trucks” headed the opposite direction. These were the sort of trucks used by utilities and professional tree trimmers, and over two days they totaled perhaps 50, far too many for any local job.</p><p>We suspect they were dispatched in anticipation of heavy storm damage to electrical systems when the storm came ashore. Our surprise was in their being on the way to potential damage days before the storm came ashore.</p><p>Satsumas! We returned from fall color viewing in the Smoky Mountains this week to find the local autumn colors showing up in orchards and roadside stands across the coastal region. We had managed to sample a few sweet satsumas before we left, and on our return found a message from Dot Rogers of Bourg whose orchard has been supplying us for years.</p><p>Her satsumas are ready, sweet, but the other citrus, oranges and grapefruit, will come later.</p><p>Dot has one of the several citrus orchards in the area. Hers is located on La. 55 alongside Bayou Terrebonne, just south of Klondyke, where La. 24 turns east toward Larose. There may be others more accessible to you, and roadside stands provide other opportunities to buy citrus by the bag.</p><p>Southdown Marketplace: Southdown Marketplace, an arts and craft show, is scheduled for Saturday at the plantation, 1208 Museum Drive, Houma. There will be scores of craft booths for fall shoppers.</p><p>The plantation's director, Rachel Cherry, said volunteer ticket takers are needed. If you would like to volunteer, call the plantation at 851-0154.</p><p>“Coming Apart”: The romantic comedy, “Coming Apart,” is scheduled to open Nov. 8 at Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne, 7829 Main St., Houma. To reserve seats, visit www.houmalittletheatre.com or call 876-4278.</p><p>Smart voting: Early voting closed Tuesday in Louisiana, so remaining registered voters should be preparing to cast ballots at their precincts Tuesdat.</p><p>All the media attention has been on the Obama-Romney battle for the presidency, but they are not alone on the ballot. Expect a handful of presidential candidates you never heard of, plus a swarm of proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution, plus in some precincts, judgeships, parish propositions and more.</p><p>Get a sample. Study it with the aid of www.Geauxvote.com and www.parlouisiana.org for amendment explanation. Write out your intentions for a speedy turn in the voting booth.</p><p>Responding? Contact Bill Ellzey at 381-6256, bill-ellzey@att.net, billellzey312@gmail.com or c/o The Courier, P.O. Box 2717, Houma, LA 70361.</p>